Researchers at the University of Houston and colleagues have developed a flexible epicardial patch which can monitor heart function and even administer treatments, such as thermal ablation and heart pacing. The device can harvest power directly from the movement of the beating heart and its flexibility means that it conforms well with the epicardial surface, allowing it to monitor the heart at various locations simultaneously. At present, implantable devices that are used to monitor and treat the heart, such as pacemakers, largely consist of rigid components, meaning that they do not blend well with moving heart muscle.
Soft alternatives have been developed, but to date they haven’t been sophisticated enough to collect numerous types of cardiac data. This latest development aims to change this. “The device marks the first time bioelectronics have been developed based on fully rubbery…
